


Fear Me Not

by Bricker



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst i guess??, Awkwardness, Kissinggggg, M/M, kinda creepy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 04:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6105429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bricker/pseuds/Bricker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little Hogwarts AU drabble I indulged myself with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fear Me Not

“What class do we have, now?” 

“Um…” Rin pouted and slipped his schedule out, straightening it with a flick of his wrist. “Defense against the Dark Arts, it looks like.” 

Sousuke scowled. “Ah. With the Gryffindors.” 

“Yup. Should be interesting, enough,” Rin said. He caught Sousuke’s sleeve before he could turn the wrong corner, and tugged him in the right direction. Sousuke swatted his hands away before anyone could see, feeling his cheeks pinken. Honestly, he’d been attending Hogwarts for six years now, and he still couldn’t distinguish the right way to the classroom he’d been visiting since he was eleven. He ignored Rin’s smirk. “Apparently the new teacher’s pretty good. Haru and Rei had her yesterday when she was teaching Ravenclaw, and they said she was fun. Better than the last one, at least.” 

Sousuke nodded gravely. “The last one was a self-centered bastard.” 

“He was funny, though,” Rin offered. “Remember when that forest sprite bit his nose? His face was swelled up for a month.” 

“He looked like a pumpkin,” Sousuke agreed, smirking at the thought. 

“Just in time for Halloween, too.” 

They laughed, their voices echoing down the hallway and mingling with the conversations of the other passing Hogwarts students. A group of first-year Hufflepuffs looked up at the sound of their laughter, and one of them accidentally dropped a potted plant. It landed with a crash, and Sousuke barely managed to sidestep the green tendrils that began to immediately sprout from the mess. He didn’t bother looking back as the little Hufflepuffs screeched and bickered over the best counterspell for Dragonleaved Ivy. 

“I think Makoto is in our class this year,” Rin said absently. He withdrew his wand from his robes and flicked it over his shoulder, a brilliantly scarlet spell shooting back to tame the ivy for the first-years. He gave Sousuke a mischievous look. “Been awhile since you two talked, huh?” 

Sousuke scowled, refusing to meet Rin’s gaze. “Yeah. So?” 

“You probably missed him over the summer break.” 

“Not really,” Sousuke muttered. He looked pointedly out the window at the teeming garden outside, feeling a twinge of heat in his face.

“Oh?” Rin blinked in mock surprise. “Really? No summer romance? No love letters exchanged via owl? You must’ve spoken at some point, surely.” 

“No,” Sousuke said. His scowl deepened. “I don’t like him like that.” 

“That’s a lie, Sousuke.” 

“No, it’s not.” 

“Yes, it is.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

“No.” 

“Oh, c’mon, Sousuke,” Rin said, huffing in frustration. “Just admit it. You think I’m going to forget last year that easily? Or the year before that? You made a move. Twice.”

“And both times he said no,” Sousuke replied simply, shoving away the immediate hurt that always followed when he admitted it. “We’re just friends. You honestly think I’m still interested in the guy that turned me down at the Yule Ball? I’m not that hopeless. I don’t have time to remain romantically interested in people who don’t accept my feelings.” 

“You’ve never shown any sign of relenting for the past three years,” Rin said. He cocked an eyebrow. “You’re seriously giving in now? What if things have changed? What if he likes you, now?” 

“He doesn’t. And I don’t like him. I’m telling you, we’re just friends,” Sousuke snapped. He shot Rin a glare. “Drop it.”

Rin sniffed. “Fine, fine.” 

They fell silent, and Sousuke glowered at the tile floor as they walked, their black cloaks billowing out behind them. The familiar stab of humiliation returned at being reminded of his past infatuation with Makoto. Shit, he’d thought he’d gotten over it. But even being teased about it was like a knock-out spell hitting him squarely in the chest. 

Embarrassing memories flooded back to him. He’d liked Makoto since the first real conversation they’d ever had, in their third year. Makoto’s sweet smile and careful, bell-like laugh had doomed him immediately, regardless of how stubborn he was to admit it. They’d grown closer that year through mutual friends, and had studied together, practiced broom-flying together, complained about professors to one another. Sousuke would never have been able to compare to Makoto’s best friend, the Ravenclaw Haruka, but he was content in admitting that Makoto had become one of the few people he would go out of his way to talk to. The first ever tingle of butterflies in his stomach had been introduced to him by a green-eyed boy with a nice smile and full, very kissable lips. 

In their fourth year, Sousuke had mustered the courage to ask Makoto to go to the Yule Ball with him. It had taken weeks to gather the strength, and by then, Makoto had already turned down many girls who’d forced themselves on him. Sousuke had managed to corner him in an empty classroom and blurted out the question, his face redder than it had ever been. Makoto said no. He’d already agreed to take Rin’s little sister, Gou, to the Yule Ball, just moments before Sousuke had asked him. Sousuke somehow had played it off indifferently, despite the horror that had caused his body to stiffen, and they’d gone on being friends without much thought. 

In their fifth year, Makoto was made captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. He was young for the role, but was obviously suited for it, with his quick thinking in games and kind encouragement. He and Sousuke had been the keepers of their respective teams for four years already, and had played many games against each other. But it wasn’t until their fifth year, when Slytherin and Gryffindor went head to head for the last game of the semester, did Sousuke realize how sexy Makoto was on a broom. Horribly sexy. He radiated confidence, a far cry from his usually anxious attitude, and his green eyes sparked with a competitiveness that Sousuke had rarely seen. As keepers, they’d been separated by a yawning field filled with ducking and dodging players, but the electricity snapping between them was undeniable. It had made Sousuke’s blood boil with both longing and a need to win, to impress. 

Slytherin had won the match when Rin caught the snitch, but not before Makoto hit the quaffle so hard with the back of his broom that it had flown right past Slytherin’s defense and through one of Slytherin’s golden hoops. It was the most arousing thing Sousuke had ever witnessed in his life. After the rush of winning and cheering died down, both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins retired to the locker room to change. Once everyone had left, Sousuke cornered Makoto for the second time in two years and kissed him hard on the mouth, his hands cupping Makoto’s wind-softened cheeks and his body pressing against Makoto’s. He’d expected to be kissed back. When Makoto pushed him away with two firm hands on his chest, it had been like a slap to the face. He could still remember the way Makoto’s green eyes had widened in panic, the way he blubbered incoherently, the way he’d gathered his things and left without another word. He remembered standing alone in the locker room with Makoto’s stolen warmth still on his lips.

After that, they’d avoided each other for the rest of the year. 

Sousuke had gotten on the Hogwarts Express at the end of his sixth summer break expecting nothing less than awkward silence and feigned smiles. It was what it was. They’d been friends, and then Sousuke blew it. Plain and simple. He had no intentions of allowing his crush to continue any further, and vowed to himself that he’d find some way to be around Makoto without having feelings for him, and obviously fighting past the sexual tension he’d created for them both. This year would be different. 

“Sousuke, you alive?” Rin asked sharply, snapping his fingers in front of Sousuke’s eyes. 

Sousuke started. “Y-yeah.” 

“Good. We’re here,” Rin said. He nodded down the familiar marble staircase to the Defense against the Dark Arts room. “C’mon, we’ll be late.” 

Sousuke grudgingly followed him down, his mind still raw from thinking about Makoto. Shit, and now he was going to be in his class. This was definitely going to be awkward. 

The moment they stepped down into the classroom, Sousuke’s eyes immediately searched the Gryffindor-filled seats for Makoto’s unruly chestnut hair. He found him almost instantly, and his heart did a painful little skip when he saw that all-too familiar smile and those friendly green eyes. Makoto wore his Gryffindor scarf, the scarlet and gold of its thick fabric making his tan skin look only tanner. He’d collected some freckles across the bridge of his nose over the summer, it looked like, as well as a small white scar on his upper lip. No doubt the work of one of the kittens Makoto always kept during the break. He’d gotten taller, too. Sousuke had kinda hoped he’d remain shorter, so Sousuke could outgrow him, but that had obviously gone out the window. His blocky glasses were laid snugly on his nose, framing those bright eyes that gleamed with laughter as he chatted with a couple Slytherin girls. 

Merlin’s Dildo, he was beautiful. 

“Yo, Makoto!” Rin called, snapping Sousuke out of his lapse of awe, and giving him a chance to mentally slap himself for getting sucked in so easily. He was just interested to see how Makoto had changed over the break, is all. Nothing else. Perfectly normal. 

“Rin!” Makoto said, moving forward to greet them. He clasped hands with Rin and pulled him in for a tight embrace. “It’s so good to see you! How was your summer?” 

“Can’t complain,” Rin said, shrugging. “You?” 

“Eh, alright. My parents went to America for international muggle-studying, so I had to babysit a lot. But Haru and I got to play quidditch, so it wasn’t all bad. Have you seen Haru, yet?” 

“Yeah, I was talking with him earlier. He’s gotten tall, too,” Rin said grumpily, pouting. “Bastard.” 

“You’ll catch up to him by the end of the year, I’m sure,” Makoto said with a fond smile. His green gaze snapped onto Sousuke, and Sousuke’s stomach rolled when he was flashed that sugar-powdered smile. “Hey, Sousuke. It’s good to see you!” 

Sousuke swallowed, feeling his face flush. Fuck. “Good to see you, too.” 

“You’ve gotten tall. Taller than me, I think,” Makoto said, inspecting him closely. He laughed. “That’s surprising. I thought I’d come back being the tallest wizard in the sixth year.” 

“As if,” Rin said with a scoff. He nudged Sousuke’s arm. “You’ve seen Sousuke’s dad, right? He’s practically half giant!”

“I’m not half giant,” Sousuke huffed. 

“Relax, I’m just kidding,” Rin said, rolling his eyes. 

“Do you guys want to sit together?” Makoto asked. He tilted his head and flashed that heart-breaker smile again. “I don’t think we’ve had a class together since our fourth year.” 

“Sure!” Rin said, before Sousuke could reply. Sousuke frowned. He hesitantly followed Makoto and Rin to the head of the class, where there were a couple of empty seats. Rin stood beside the desk in silent invitation for Sousuke to go first, so he would be sitting beside Makoto, and Sousuke shot him a glare. He stood firm, and the two stared each other down for a moment, before Rin gave a huff of defeat and plopped down in Makoto’s neighboring seat. Sousuke sat next to him and pointedly ignored Makoto’s curious and slightly wounded gaze. 

“Hey, Makoto, are you still as jumpy as you were last year?” Rin asked, distracting them both. He gave Makoto a mischievous smirk. “If I recall, you screamed so loud one time that you nearly scared all the owls out of the emporium.” 

Makoto laughed nervously. “I’m not sure… Maybe? I wasn’t exactly scared all that much on the break, so I don’t really know.” 

“I guess we’ll have to see,” Rin said, with a much too innocent tone. 

Their new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Madam Amakata, cut off any further conversation with her hurried entrance. She was a small woman with brown curls and big, doe-like eyes, sporting rather atrocious lime-green robes. Her wand was stuck sloppily behind her ear, and what looked like a dozen books were stacked in her arms, almost obscuring her face as she burst to her desk. The classroom fell silent as both Gryffindor and Slytherin watched in perplexed curiosity. 

“Good morning, class!” she chirped. She stumbled around a little, before finding the surface of her desk and setting the books on top of it with a hard thump. “So sorry I’m late. There was, erm, a bit of a mess out of the hallway… Some irresponsible student cast a slipping spell on the floor of the teacher’s lounge, and it took forever to get all of these books soundly out of there. I’ll have to go back and sort that out at some point…” 

A couple Gryffindor girls snickered, and Sousuke didn’t have to wonder too long who was the source of the slipping spell. 

“Now, then,” Madam Amakata said, clapping her hands together and turning to face the class. “Welcome to Defense against the Dark Arts. From what I understand, you’ve had a series of professors for this subject come and go over the years. I assure you now that I have every intention to stay for a while, so it would be better if you’d give some good impressions now, so we don’t have a problem later.” She smiled sweetly. “Deal?” 

A couple people murmured their agreement, and Madam Amakata beamed in satisfaction. 

“Excellent. So, Defense against the Dark Arts. A very crucial subject to study in your short time at Hogwarts. The magical world is a dark place, and young wizards such as yourselves must be prepared for anything,” she replied. “As a famous American Hufflepuff once said, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail.’ Does anyone knew who said that?” 

Makoto’s hand drifted up, and Amakata nodded at him to reply, positively glowing with happiness to have someone answer. 

“Benjamin Franklin?” Makoto asked. 

“Correct! Five point to the Gryffindor,” Amakata chirped. Rin nudged Makoto’s arm and gave him a smirk that reeked of ‘you’re such a nerd, Tachibana.’ Makoto just replied with a good-hearted rolling of the eyes and a fond smile. 

“It is very likely that, at some point, you will be facing an object of great fear,” Amakata continued, perching delicately on the edge of her desk. “Your worst fear, possibly. And it’s my job to prepare you for that moment. I’m not going to sugar-coat it, boys and girls. The wizarding world is slowly drifting into a time of great danger. I trust that you are all updated on the raids taking place at the gates of the Ministry of Magic, and the rumors going around about dark sorcerers seizing power.”

A Gryffindor held up her hand. “But those are just rumors, right?” 

“Who knows?” Amakata said with a shrug. “Does it matter? It never hurts to be prepared, and it never hurts to gather your courage while you’re young, so you aren’t stricken with fear later. The class I see before me is a mixture of Slytherins and Gryffindors: the two most ambitious and courageous houses at Hogwarts. Many of you may aspire to be Aurors, or protectors of the Ministry. Even the Minister of Magic, for a few of you. And if you work hard in my class now, you have a very good chance of accomplishing what you want.” 

Another hand shot up, joined by a trembling Slytherin’s voice. “But what if we don’t want to be an Auror, or something?” 

“Learning to defend yourself against evil will grant you much, including a stable future,” Amakata replied, smiling softly. “If you wish to study muggles, study muggles. If you wish to care for magical creatures, then care for magical creatures. But I guarantee to you now that facing your fears is inevitable, no matter your ambitions. As a well-known English wizard once said, ‘All things are ready, if our mind be so.’” She gave a daring smile. “Does anyone know who said that?” 

Makoto’s hand went up again. His cheeks flushed. “... William Shakespeare?” 

“Correct. Five more points to Gryffindor,” Amakata said, grinning wide. She drifted towards Makoto, clasping her hands together, as if he were a splendid little present laid out for her to inspect. “And what might your name be?” 

“M-Makoto Tachibana.” 

“Well, Makoto Tachibana, I like you already. It seems as if we have a scholar in our midst,” Amakata replied, and Makoto flushed a deeper shade of pink. “Let’s hope that the rest of the class can give such a nice first impression. If you can all manage to do that, then we should all get along swimmingly.” She took a couple more steps down the row of desks, before stopping in front of Sousuke. “What’s your name, dear?” 

“Sousuke Yamazaki,” Sousuke replied, swallowing. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Yamazaki. Tell me, do you happen to know what a Boggart is?” 

“Erm…” Sousuke wracked his brain for any possible replies. The name sounded familiar… Had they studied this before? It probably didn’t matter, since Sousuke’s memory was shit…

Makoto raised his hand again, effectively distracting Amakata with a charming smile. “Um, I do.” 

“As pleased as I am to hear that, Mr. Tachibana, I’m afraid I asked Mr. Yamazaki,” Amakata said. She turned to look at Sousuke again. “If you don’t remember, perhaps you could kindly ask your classmate to help you. Would you like that?” 

Sousuke gave a short nod, feeling his face heat up. A couple of Gryffindors snickered behind him. “Yes, please, Madam Amakata.” 

“Very well. Mr. Tachibana, the answer, if you would.” 

“A boggart is a magical creature that hides in dark places, like attics and armoires,” Makoto said, audibly gulping. “They, erm, can take the shape of the thing their beholder fears the most.” 

“Excellent. Five more points to Gryffindor,” Amakata said, giving a soft smile. She took her wand out from behind her ear and tapped it against Sousuke’s desk. “You would do well to follow your classmate’s example and come prepared, Mr. Yamazaki. The definition for a boggart was in the reading assignment I announced before class.” 

“...Sorry,” Sousuke muttered. Amakata just sniffed, unimpressed.

“So, Tachibana. Do you happen to have any experience with boggarts?” she asked, turning to look at Makoto again. 

“N-not really. We had one in our basement, once, when I was little.” 

“Uh-huh. And, did you see it?” 

“...Yes.” 

“What did you see?” Amakata asked, tilting her head and regarding Makoto kindly. “If you don’t mind sharing, of course.” 

Makoto gave a visible shudder. He stared hard at his desk, his face red. “It’s alright. I saw the ocean, ma’am.” 

“The ocean?” 

“Y-yes. My worst fear is the ocean.” 

“I see,” Amakata said, nodding solemnly. “Thank you for sharing that with us, Mr. Tachibana. I think, by the end of this lesson, you will feel much more confident about facing a boggart in the future.” 

Makoto looked up at her with wide eyes. “How?” 

“I’m going to teach you all how to subdue a boggart, of course,” Amakata said simply, spreading her arms wide, as if it were obvious. “Hopefully by the end of the period, you will all be a little less anxious about facing objects of darkness in the future.” She motioned for Makoto to follow her to her desk. “Come, come.” 

Casting Rin and Sousuke an anxious look, Makoto shakily stood up and moved to the front of the class, his arms tense at his sides. Amakata strode to the corner, pushing away complicated-looking contraptions as she did, and pulled a large wooden chest out by the handle. She dragged it to the center of the room, and it gave a great lurch, practically jumping off of the ground. Somebody let out an audible gasp of surprise, and Makoto stumbled back, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. Rin and Sousuke both tensed, and Sousuke’s hand instinctively went for his wand. Every fiber of his being screamed to sweep Makoto away from the writhing, bouncing chest, and bring him into a protective embrace. 

If Makoto somehow was hurt, Sousuke was going to strangle Amakata. 

“No need to be alarmed,” Amakata said cheerily. She moved to stand beside Makoto, placing a reassuring hand on his back. “Do you know what’s in there, Mr. Tachibana?” 

Makoto smiled nervously. “A… Boggart?” 

“Yes. Now, I am going to open the chest, soon. The boggart will come out and confront you, most likely in the shape of the ocean, unless your worst fear has changed. All you have to do is say a very simple charm, and picture something very unthreatening in your head. Alright?” 

“A-alright.” 

“Good,” Amakata said, her voice soothing. “Repeat after me, Mr. Tachibana: ‘Riddikulus.’” 

“Riddikulus.” 

“Good, good! That’s all there is to it,” she said, grinning wide. She clapped Makoto on the shoulder and moved back to the struggling chest. “Remember, it won’t work unless you think of something non-threatening. Are you ready?” 

Makoto set his jaw and reached to take his wand out of his robes. “Yes.” 

“Alright. I’m opening the chest in three, two… one.” 

Quickly unclasping the locks on the chest, Amakata stepped back as the top flew open, and everyone in the room flinched at the loud squeak of the metal hinges being pushed. Before Sousuke could comprehend what was going on, dark, frothy water leaped from the confines of the chest, swirling and spitting viciously. It twisted into a wall of water so dark it was almost black, and loomed over Makoto, its roar echoing through the classroom and prompting a few terrified screams from the watching students. 

Makoto’s eyes widened in horror, his muscles locking and his knuckles turning white from clutching his wand. He looked frozen, a blank look crossing his green gaze, his jaw going slack. He blanched and stumbled back. The wall of water rushed towards him with startling speed. A few more people screamed.

“Mr. Tachibana, the spell!” Amakata cried over the roar of the wave. “You need to say the spell!” 

“R-riddikulus!” Makoto cried, pointing his wand at the water, his face as white as a ghost’s. He seemed to gather himself a little, and he set his shoulders. “Riddikulus!” 

The wave halted. It was suspended in the air for a moment, towering over Makoto, and the room went dead silent. The meow of a cat interrupted the eery quiet, and a chunk of the water fell. When it hit the floor, it was a silver tabby with brilliant blue eyes, blinking in pleasant confusion. Another chunk fell from the water, and it shifted into a cat as well, this time a green-eyed calico with tufted ears. Sousuke watched, his mouth agape, as a flurry of cats replaced the dark wave, meowing excitedly. 

Somebody let out a shocked gasp, which prompted a chuckle, which was followed by a roar of laughter that swept through the classroom. Sousuke couldn’t help but laugh, too. The cats wandered across Amakata’s floor with utter disregard, blinking their wide eyes in curiosity. Makoto himself lowered his wand and smiled. Color returned to his face, and he joined in the laughter, his cheeks flushing pink. Even Amakata giggled into her hand. She withdrew her wand and flicked it, and the cats were pulled one after the other back into the chest. She locked its clasps again and clapped happily. 

“Well done, well done!” she gushed. She hurried to Makoto’s side and took his hand, shaking it with surprising enthusiasm. “That was very well handled, Mr. Tachibana.” 

“T-thank you,” Makoto mumbled. He smiled nervously. “I’m sorry I froze up like that-” 

“Perfectly understandable,” Amakata interjected. “It was brilliant, for your first time. And may I just say, your fear of the ocean is not something I can blame in the slightest. That was horrifying.” 

Makoto laughed. “Sorry.” 

“Not at all, not at all,” she replied. “Go back to your seat, please. Let’s have everyone else have a go.” She gave them all a wink. “It can be pretty fun, you know, once you get the hang of it.” 

 

\---000---

 

The rest of the class went by in a blur of laughter and the clutching of sides.

Sousuke was confident he had never laughed so much in his life. He couldn’t help it. Not after seeing a bear turn into a giant oreo, or a particularly creepy-looking professor gain a frilly princess dress. Snakes turned into slinkies, spiders turned into polka-dotted octopuses with funny hats, a flurry of bees turned into a bursting pinata that spewed candy. Somebody even turned a diamondback rattlesnake into a giant, sparkly dildo. The name of the enchantment certainly gave credit to the hilarity that followed. 

Rin returned from his turn smiling like an idiot, after transforming a screechy quidditch coach who’d rambled on about him not amounting to anything into an excited labrador puppy. Sousuke clapped him on the back when he sat back down again, and Rin flashed him an exhilarated look. 

“It feels so fucking good, Sousuke,” he said, giving a visible shiver. 

“You were great, Rin!” Makoto said. He threw his arm around Rin’s shoulders and pulled him in for a fond noogie. “I’ve definitely never seen a quidditch coach turn into a puppy, before.” 

Rin laughed and pushed him away. “Get off me, you big lump.” 

“Alright, who’s next?” Amakata said, smiling to herself as she clasped the chest’s locks again. “There can’t be many more of you, now. The period’s almost over.” 

Unable to fight his grin, Sousuke stuck his hand up. “I’d like to go, ma’am.” 

“Ah, Mr. Yamazaki. Come on up, come on up,” Amakata chirped. Sousuke scooted his chair back and stood, moving to the center of the room and taking out his wand. Amakata give a little laugh at his obvious anticipation. “You excited?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Sousuke said, giving a firm nod. 

“You remember the charm?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“And you’ll come prepared next time?” Amakata added, wrinkling her nose teasingly. 

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Sousuke said. He gave her his best apologetic look, and she laughed. 

“Alright, then. Let’s see what the boggart has to offer you, Mr. Yamazaki,” she said, and flicked the clasps of the chest open, stepping back. The top flew over, and Sousuke gripped his wand, his heart hammering with excitement. He could feel Makoto and Rin’s eyes on him, and couldn’t help but smirk. He couldn’t think of a time he’d been legitimately scared before. This should be easy, enough. 

But it wasn’t a spider, or a doctor with a needle, who stepped out of the chest. It wasn’t a faceless man with unrealistically long arms, or a clown with a distorted face, or a flurry of wing-rotting moths. The creature that stepped out of the chest looked much too familiar for comfort, with its sandy brown hair, kind green eyes, and soft smile.  
Sousuke’s heart leaped into his throat as a spitting image of Makoto picked its way out. 

He was dressed in his quidditch uniform, the thick, scarlet and gold material clinging to his body in a way that it certainly didn’t under normal circumstances. His face was so unusually chiselled that it was creepy, his hair falling in his face so stiffly that it looked fake. He held his broom tight in one of his gloved hands, a quaffle in the other. 

Silence immediately fell over the room, and all that Sousuke could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears. He swallowed as the boggart Makoto took a step closer, tilting its head and baring its perfectly white teeth. 

“Sousuke,” it said in Makoto’s voice, and Sousuke felt every part of his body lock up. The boggart moved steadily closer, moving its hips enticingly and smiling Makoto’s smile. It cast the broom over its shoulder and pouted those full, glistening lips. “Sousuke, I love you.” 

A choked gasp escaped Sousuke’s throat. He stumbled back, shaking his head repeatedly. 

“Sousuke,” the boggart said again, “Sousuke, I love you.” 

Its voice sounded like a broken record, repeating the exact same tone as it echoed himself. 

“N-no,” Sousuke managed, swallowing. 

“Sousuke, kiss me. Kiss me, Sousuke.” The boggart pressed forward, its smile falling. “Won’t you kiss me, Sousuke? Kiss me, Sousuke. Sousuke, I love you.” 

“Mr. Yamazaki,” Amakata breathed, her voice hollow. She looked at Sousuke over the boggart’s shoulder, her brown eyes wide. “Mr. Yamazaki, say the spell. It will go away if you say the spell.”

“I c-can’t,” Sousuke said. His wand shook in his hand. 

“Mr. Yamazaki, if you let it continue-” 

“Sousuke, kiss me,” the boggart said, its voice firm. “Kiss me right now, or I won’t love you.” 

“Mako-” 

“Sousuke, please. Kiss me, Sousuke,” the boggart continued. It reached out of him, fingers extended to grip his face. “Kiss me, or I won’t love you.” 

“I…” His head swimming with confusion, Sousuke felt himself step shakily forward, allowing the boggart to touch him. It smiled as it traced his face with fingers as cold as death, its green eyes glinting with satisfaction. Sousuke let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, every muscle in his body going slack as the boggart leaned forward to fit their mouths together. 

Something suddenly wrenched Sousuke back, and he stumbled, his eyes flying open. Somehow, Amakata had forced her way between him and the boggart, her cloak swirling around her and her wand extended. 

“Riddikulus!” she cried, her voice dripping with venom, and a sharp yellow spell shot from the end of her wand and encased the boggart. The boggart stumbled, its green eyes widening in horror, before it was suddenly transformed into a lovely-looking, petite ballet dancer that awkwardly struggled in roller skates. Nobody laughed as Amakata pushed the dancer back into the chest, slamming the top on it and shakily locking the clasps again. 

Sousuke stared at the ground, his heart in his ears. He allowed his grip on his wand to relax hesitantly. All eyes were turned on him, making his skin boil with sudden humiliation. He watched his shoes as he caught his breath. Warmth returned back to his face, but the cold of the boggart’s touch lingered on his cheek, stinging slightly. 

“Mr. Yamazaki,” Amakata said, her voice firm. Sousuke forced himself to look up at her. She watched him closely, her eyebrows angled up in concern. “Mr. Yamazaki, are you alright?” 

“F-fine,” he managed. He cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware-” 

“It’s fine,” Sousuke snapped. Every fiber of his body shook with embarrassment. 

Had that seriously just happened?

“Sousuke,” a weak voice murmured, and Sousuke turned to look at Makoto. The real Makoto. He was so beautiful, so effortless, compared to how the boggart had made him look. His green eyes were wide with shock and concern, his lips parted with unspoken words. His hair was wonderfully unruly. If Sousuke’s entire being hadn’t been screaming with humiliation, he would’ve smiled comfortingly at him, to ease his face back into a warm grin. 

The eyes of the rest of the class burned holes into Sousuke’s body, and he quickly looked away, feeling his entire face go red. 

“I have to go,” he mumbled. Without waiting for a reply, he hurried to his desk, shoved his things in his bag, and strode for the exit, head lowered. 

“Sousuke,” Makoto called out, his voice shaking. 

“Oi, where the hell are you going?” Rin snapped, and Sousuke heard the scraping of his chair as he stood up. “Come back here!” 

“Oh, dear,” Amakata said. 

Sousuke took the stairs two at a time, a cruel hand clutching his heart. 

 

\---000---

 

He hid in an abandoned classroom for the rest of the school day. 

Voices of the passing students outside the closed door acted as a sort of reminder to stay hidden, to avoid facing anyone ever again. 

He couldn’t believe he had just done that. 

Not only had the boggart turned into Makoto, but it had told him it was in love with him and wanted to kiss him. And Sousuke had almost let it. He’d almost kissed a boggart in front of the entire class, including Makoto and Rin. Fuck.

What the hell was that even supposed to mean? The boggart was supposed to show his worst fear, right? That was ridiculous. He wasn’t afraid of Makoto. He was the exact opposite of afraid of Makoto. From his third year onward he’d wanted to be with him, to kiss him and hold his hand and do terribly lewd things with him. It didn’t make any sense for the boggart to show him...that. 

Maybe he was afraid of commitment. Or rejection. Or making up with Makoto at all. Whatever the case, it didn’t make it any less humiliating. The look of shock on Makoto’s face would be burned into his memory forever. Fuck, they’d never be able to talk comfortably again. It had already been bad, but somehow, it had gotten worse. So, so much worse. 

He concluded that this was Amakata’s fault. If she hadn’t chosen to introduce them to a boggart on the very first day back from break, maybe Sousuke would’ve been able to calm whatever the fear that had to do with Makoto was. He’d vowed to be friends again, after all. 

Yes, this was definitely Amakata’s fault. 

He entertained himself with easy spells he hadn’t used since his second year, like making little golden butterflies sprout from his wand and fly around his head. He turned a discarded button into a beetle, and wrote things on the blackboard by levitating the chalk. He remained slumped against the wall for hours. It was better to wallow in his own embarrassment now, when he was alone, so he could be cool and collected later. Like he always was. 

He knew what he’d do. He’d wait everyone out, until the halls were quiet and dark, and then sneak back to Slytherin dormitories. Everyone would be asleep by then, including Rin. From then on, Sousuke would avoid Makoto at all costs. He couldn’t expect to go perfectly unnoticed, considering they’d be playing against each other in matches and would have the same classes, but hopefully he’d make it through the year without exploding from embarrassment. Then he’d move to France, maybe, and go to the wizarding school there to complete his last year. He’d become an Auror for the ministry there, marry a pretty little french woman who had nothing in common with Makoto, and have a bunch of kids that distracted him from ever possibly looking back on his first crush. 

Yeah. That sounded perfect. Well, not perfect. But pretty damn close. 

“Sousuke?” a soft voice said, and the door creaked open. Sousuke jolted, and the chalk he’d been levitating dropped to the floor with a clatter. 

“Go away,” he snapped, pressing himself closer to the wall. 

“Sousuke, is that you?” the voice said, ignoring Sousuke’s demand. His stomach sank. That was, without a doubt, Makoto. 

“Makoto, please leave me alone. I don’t want to talk,” he said with a sigh. 

“But we… sh-should talk,” Makoto mumbled. The door remained open a centimeter. “We need to talk about what happened in Amakata’s class today.” 

“I don’t want to.” 

“Well, I do.” 

Sousuke looked away, letting his wand droop. “Why? Why do we have to talk about it?” 

“Because I have questions,” Makoto said. The door opened entirely, and Makoto faced him with a determined look, his stance prepared. “I can’t just let this go.” 

“You let the last time go,” Sousuke said, his voice cold. “Or maybe you don’t remember.” 

“I remember,” Makoto replied. His face flushed, but his expression remained stern. “But I’m not letting that happen again. You’re my friend, and we need to talk about what happened today.” 

“.... Fine.” It was better to get this over with, Sousuke supposed. His dignity had been torn into shreds, but he still had his pride. He motioned with his wand to the empty spot next to him. “Take a seat, and let’s talk. If that’s what you want.” 

“It is,” Makoto said, his shoulders slumping a little with relief. He came over and slid down the wall beside Sousuke. Sousuke noted how careful he was not to touch him. They sat in silence for a moment, before Makoto spoke up suddenly. “A-are you in love with me?” 

Sousuke started, his face turning entirely pink in an impressive lapse of time. “No!” 

Makoto blinked at him, equally bewildered. “You’re not?” 

“No! I mean, well…” Sousuke cleared his throat and looked away. “I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” 

“I mean I don’t know,” Sousuke snapped, more forcefully than he intended. Makoto didn’t shrink away. He just frowned, his eyebrows coming together in irritation. 

“Well, what are your feelings towards me?” 

“I don’t know. I… really like you, I guess,” Sousuke said. he stared hard at the ground. His heartbeat resonated in his ears. “I like you a lot.”

“Hm.” Makoto’s only reply was a weak grunt. He stretched his legs out and clapped the top of his sneakers together, hands clasped in his lap. He hesitated before speaking. “...Why?” 

Sousuke couldn’t help but snort. “Fishing for compliments, are you?” 

“T-that’s not what I meant,” Makoto said, turning bright red and looking away. “I just… I don’t understand why you like me, of all people. I thought you liked Rin.” 

“Rin?” Sousuke laughed. “Makoto, I literally kissed you last year. And I asked you to go to the Yule Ball with me the year before that. And you think I like Rin? He’s my best friend.” 

“W-well, when you say it like that…” Makoto smiled weakly and slid his hand through his hair. 

“I’ve liked you from the beginning,” Sousuke said. He rested his head against the wall and stared at the ceiling, heat remaining stubbornly in his face. “You were my first crush.” 

“I was?” He felt Makoto’s gaze turn to him and swallowed. 

“Yeah. I remember when we first met,” he said, refusing to meet those green eyes. He smiled at the ceiling. “It was on the train, at the beginning of our third year. Haruka bought you a lot of chocolate frogs because you didn’t have any money, and you gave one to me. The card inside was Circe. You got really excited about that, because she was the one you were missing, so we swapped. I got Prospero.” 

Makoto’s eyes widened. “You remember that?” 

“Yeah. I also remember being a little annoyed that you were sorted into Gryffindor, since you’re so sweet,” Sousuke said. He caught himself and cleared his throat. “And since you’re jumpy as hell.” 

Makoto gave a weak laugh. “Really?” 

“Mm-hm. I remember the first time I saw you with glasses, too. I almost dropped all my books on my foot.” 

Makoto laughed again, but it was more confident than before, more familiar. Sousuke finally glanced at him, a small smile on his lips. He shifted up to face Makoto. 

“I also remember the time you brought your first cat to Hogwarts,” he said. “It was just a little kitten then. My owl nearly ate it. That was the angriest you’ve ever been at me.”

“I remember that, too,” Makoto said, lifting a hand to his lips to stifle his laughter. “You snuck down to the kitchen and asked the elves to make cat cookies to say sorry.” 

“I couldn’t bear going on with you mad at me, dumbass. Of course I went and asked for cat cookies.” 

“It was really sweet.” 

“It was really cheesy.”

“Remember that time that you got hit in the face with a bludger during your first quidditch match?” Makoto said, smiling wide. He shook his head fondly. “You nearly had your brains knocked out. Rin and I visited you every day, and every day you’d say something crazier. You started talking about a house full of cats and kids and dogs, with a garden on the roof so pegasi could land on it and graze. And a giant fly-swapper to squish all the trolls so nobody would be afraid.” 

“...I said all that?” Sousuke muttered, blinking. 

“Yeah. Rin and I didn’t want to tell you, because we knew you’d be embarrassed,” Makoto replied. (Damn, he was oblivious.) “It was really cute, though. You were so serious when you said it.” 

Sousuke couldn’t help but laugh. He imagined a thirteen year-old version of himself, pouting and describing his dream house with Makoto very seriously. Fuck, he’d been a nerd. Makoto laughed with him, and Sousuke didn’t have to ask to know that he was thinking of the same thing. 

“Do you remember when you and Haru got in a fight, back in fourth year? It was right after Slytherin beat Ravenclaw in the last game of the semester.” Makoto asked. 

“Yeah. He pushed me into the lake.” 

“You smelled like a mermaid for the next month!”

Sousuke pulled a face. “Better than smelling like a mackerel stand.”

Makoto burst into laughter, reaching out and grabbing Sousuke’s sleeve to steady himself. His sweet laugh was as contagious as ever. Sousuke had to curl his lips in to stop himself from practically cackling.

This is what Sousuke had missed the most, over the summer break, no matter how many times he denied it to himself. Laughing with Makoto was so effortless, and laughing had never been effortless before. Makoto’s smile did weird things to him. It always had. 

“Why did you push me away?” Sousuke heard himself ask, once he’d regained himself. Makoto’s laughter subsided at the question. Sousuke forced himself to continue. “When I kissed you. Why’d you push me back?”

Makoto’s smile fell. He flushed and looked away, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “Sousuke…” 

“Do you not like me, or something?” 

“I… I don’t know,” Makoto mumbled. “I’m not really sure if I like you or not. I was so surprised last year. I hadn’t… I didn’t know what to do. My brain froze. I’ve never been kissed before then. Not really. It was so sudden, and it was you, and I…” He trailed off, his face the color of a tomato. 

Sousuke studied him, swallowing. Silence fell between them, and for a moment, the only sound was the voices of the students outside, hurrying to their next class. Sousuke’s heart thumped painfully against the confines of his chest. He wanted to hold back, to keep quiet and let the silence drag on, but every part him screamed in protest. Makoto was right here, sitting right in front of him, in his gryffindor robes and his cute glasses. He couldn’t, though… They’d only just made up, right? Laughing like this… Everything had just been magically fixed, right? Sousuke would be an idiot if he tried something. 

Ah, fuck it. 

“Will you push me away if I kiss you now?” he said, pointedly ignoring the heat in his face. Makoto met his gaze, his lips parted in surprise. He hesitated, his freckled cheeks scarlet under his glasses. 

“No. No, I won’t push you away,” he mumbled. 

Sousuke smiled, warmth swelling in his chest. “Okay.” 

He closed the gap between them, and their lips met shakily. Makoto inhaled sharply when they touched, and Sousuke felt him stiffen. He could practically hear Makoto’s confused and panicked thoughts, but he decided it was best to ignore it and pushed on, sucking gently on Makoto’s bottom lip and lifting a hand to cup his face. It was chaste, Sousuke concluded. The tender, wet skin of their lips were the only things that touched, but every little flicker of movement sent another shiver down Sousuke’s spine. He tilted his head into the kiss and pushed harder, softly experimenting with how far he could take it. Makoto gave no sign to wanting to move away. He hesitated, before kissing Sousuke back with shaky movements, his hand snaking up to curl in Sousuke’s short hair. He relaxed into Sousuke’s touch and released a dreamy breath against Sousuke’s mouth, parting his lips in the slightest to catch his lip between his own. 

They pulling away with a soft smacking noise, a bead of saliva dangling between them. Makoto gave a weak smile and swatted it away. His fingers curled deeper into Sousuke’s hair. 

“That was…” Sousuke cleared his throat. His face felt as if it were throbbing from how much he was blushing. “That was, um, really good.” 

Makoto laughed, his own cheeks turning scarlet. “Y-you’re a good kisser.” 

“...Thanks.” 

“I, erm, might be wrong, though. Maybe we should do it again. Just to make sure, of course,” Makoto mumbled, smiling. Before Sousuke could say anything, he felt Makoto pull him closer by his green and silver tie, and their lips met again, surer this time. Sousuke smiled like an idiot against Makoto’s mouth, his heart hammering excitedly in his chest. He kissed Makoto back with… determination, to put it mildly. Their lips still locked, he maneuvered himself onto Makoto’s lap, straddling his hips. He tugged Makoto’s Gryffindor scarf away with careful fingers, and let his hands rest against the soft skin of Makoto’s neck, massaging his pulse gently. Makoto sighed against him. His hands wandered up Sousuke’s thighs, a quiver in his touch. Sousuke let out a pleased puff as Makoto slipped his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans and pulled their bodies closer. Electricity snapped between them, and their lips danced hungrily, sliding and catching with one another. 

“Fuck,” Sousuke mumbled, his breath short, as Makoto’s hands left his hips and moved up his chest to grasp his tie. Those slender fingers gently eased the knot loose and pulled it from both ends, effectively keeping Sousuke from moving away as Makoto kissed him harder. Breaths exchanging raggedly, they entwined their tongues, lips parted wide to catch every bit of each other’s taste. 

“Sousuke,” Makoto murmured, his voice raspy. Sousuke inhaled the word, stealing it from Makoto’s lips and muffling it completely. His entire being pulsed with desire, and he felt himself reach for Makoto’s tie, fingers fumbling over the perfectly-made knot. He pulled it loose and cast it away. The soft fabric of Makoto’s dress shirt bent willingly when he pulled the collar apart, revealing a freckled, perfectly sculpted collar bone that had no business making Sousuke feel so aroused. He rubbed his thumbs along its elegant angle with ginger fingers, and Makoto let out a soft moan that rattled Sousuke’s heart and made his stomach writhe. 

“Holy shit,” Sousuke huffed, breaking off their kiss, his fingers dropping to fumble with the buttons of Makoto’s shirt. 

“Wait, Sousuke,” Makoto said, his voice breathy. He put his hands over Sousuke’s, effectively halting their struggle to rid Makoto of his clothing. Their eyes met. Makoto blinked sleepily up at him, his eyebrow tilted up in the slightest with concern. 

“What?” Sousuke said. His irritation at being interrupted was obvious in his tone, but Makoto remained unbothered, his expression remaining neutral. 

“Why did the boggart look like me?” he asked. One of his hands drifted up to rest against Sousuke’s cheek, his fingers brushing over the spot where the boggart had touched him. “Why… why did it say those things to you?”

“I don’t know,” Sousuke said honestly. He looked away and scowled in frustration. “It doesn’t make any sense to me.” 

“I was… I was kinda thinking about that, when I was looking for you,” Makoto said. He shifted a little, and Sousuke readjusted himself on his lap. “I thought that maybe you’re, erm, scared of your own feelings, I guess. You’ve never been good about accepting how you feel about stuff, so…” He winced. “Or maybe you’re afraid of weakness.” 

“...Weakness,” Sousuke echoed blankly. He blinked. “What do you mean by that?” 

“Well, when you have strong emotions, you’re vulnerable, right? Like, you can’t control them,” Makoto said, flushing. He adjusted his glasses shakily. “And you need control. If you don’t have control of the situation, you feel weak. A-Amakata actually said something about that, after you left... “ 

He cleared his throat and held a finger up, like Amakata had when she’d been quoting an old wizard. “‘Power is my weakness and temptation.’ A witch named J.K. Rowling said that, I think.” 

Sousuke scowled. “Makoto, what the hell does that even mean?” 

He decided not to comment on the fact that Amakata had started talking to the class about him after he left. What a fucking moron that woman was. 

“It just means that if you’re too desperate for control and to escape emotions that make you weak, like love, then it will turn into a weakness itself.” Makoto laughed weakly and scratched his cheek. “Saying it out loud… It doesn’t make much sense, does it?” 

“No.” 

“Well, I’m just trying to say that your feelings for me make you feel weak, and you’re afraid of weakness, so that’s why the boggart shapeshifted to look like me,” Makoto blurted, giving an anxious smile and looking hurriedly away. “It… It’s just a guess. I don’t know.”

Sousuke shrugged. “It’s better than the ideas that I had.” 

“W-whatever the case,” Makoto said, “I just hope you’re not scared, anymore.”

“I’m not.” Sousuke huffed and pinched Makoto’s chin, tilting his face higher so their gazes could meet properly. Sousuke practically towered over him now, since he’d somehow gotten onto Makoto’s lap. “You could never scare me.” 

Makoto smiled. “Good.” 

An awkward silence fell between them, before Sousuke leaned down and kissed him again, his fingers still holding Makoto’s chin securely in place. 

“So… Does this mean that you like me?” Sousuke asked when they separated. 

Makoto flushed. “U-um, yeah, I guess. I mean… we just made out, and you’re in my lap…” He met Sousuke’s eyes and smiled shyly. “And, well, yeah. Yeah, I like you. I definitely wouldn’t say no if you asked me out… Again.”

Sousuke laughed. His heart did a funny little tap dance. “Alright, then. Come with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?” 

“Yes. Of course. I’d love to,” Makoto said quickly, before turning a deeper scarlet and looking down. “I mean, yeah, cool. I could probably find the time for that…” 

Sousuke laughed again. He pressed their lips together, and Makoto’s shoulders relaxed, his hands returning to their resting place on Sousuke’s thighs. 

"Then it's a date." 

Makoto smiled, his eyes still closed. He hummed contently. "So it is."

**Author's Note:**

> idk man, I just have a thing for Sousuke sitting in Makoto's lap. *shrug*  
> Ok, so like the epic nerd I am, I was watching the third harry potter movie and thought immediately of the free! characters and what they'd see if approached by a boggart. In this lil drabble AU thing, Sousuke doesn't have a problem with his shoulder. If he did, his worst fear probs would be a doctor telling him he'd never be able to swim (or fly, in this case,) ever again. Ehehehe look I made myself sad.  
> Makoto's fear was obvious, the poor lamb, but I kinda half-assed Rin's. Part of me wanted to have his dad come out and tell him how disappointed he was in him... But I decided against it because that would just make my heart hurt. And it would distract from Sousuke's freaky encounter lol.  
> I have absolutely no idea what the other character's worst fears would be, so if you have a guess, please tell me!! I'm really interested, now. ^^


End file.
